In recent years, the necessity of interfaces used for the connection of high-performance computers to external devices has greatly increased. Memory cards are an example of such devices. Memory cards contain external memory and the data to be processed by the computer, and during their use, they are connected to the inside circuitry by means of electrical connectors.
An example of a conventional card connector is depicted in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 92-8241. This card connector comprises a frame retaining the card and a connector section which is electrically connected to the card retained in the frame. The connector section connects the card with the circuits on the circuit board, with the frame being fixed to the circuit board and at the same time implementing a connection to ground. If necessary, this card connector can be equipped with an ejection mechanism. The ejection mechanism has an operating rod sliding in the direction opposite to that of the card insertion and a cam bar operationally joined to the operating rod. Pressure applied to the operating rod is transmitted to the cam bar which moves, this providing pressure to the card and ejecting it.
However, the ejection mechanism of the card connector described above has a disadvantage to the effect that when no card is inserted in the connector, the operating rod, especially in the units not attached to circuit boards, can freely move within its moving range. This results in a rattling sound in personal computers of the notebook type when they are carried around. In addition, when the button of the operating rod is made flat with the surface of the computer case, it is necessary to provide a depression for the operation of the button when the card is ejected. However, such a depression is not desirable, because foreign objects may get in it.
In order to solve these problems, ejection mechanisms described in Japanese UM Publication No. 89-132074and Japanese UM Publication No. 90-41278 were proposed in which a spring was provided to force the operating rod forward and its button to the surface of the case. However, it was necessary to provide in such ejection mechanisms guiding grooves for the operating rod which resulted in an increased width of the mechanisms which was not desirable from the standpoint of compactness.
Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to offer a card connector equipped with a small-sized ejection mechanism having a spring-loaded operating rod.
In many cases, electronic and electric devices have to be electrically connected to devices mounted on printed circuit boards through circuits formed thereon, as well as to devices mounted on other circuit boards, and the circuit boards have to be electrically connected to each other.
For example, a circuit board with circuits formed on both sides is inserted in a connector of an assembly of circuit board connectors, and connector contacts are to be connected to the conductive pads formed on the circuit board by soldering. In addition, connectors have to be mounted on both sides of the circuit board and connected to the external circuits in order to make it possible to make connections with circuit boards or other devices.
However, the soldering of contacts of such a connector assembly to both sides of a circuit board is a difficult process.
In addition, since the above-mentioned connectors are secured to both sides of the circuit board, there is no flexibility in the positioning of the devices or circuit boards to be connected by means of these connectors, thus making it impossible to compensate for minor shifts in their position or to change their position.
The wiring to a number of external devices or circuit boards from the above-mentioned assembly of the circuit board connectors is relatively simple, but the process of assembly of many connectors involving a number of complicated and cost-intensive operations needs simplification.